Tim Griffith Memorial FoundationInc

The Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation has supported individuals seeking to break free of addiction and find renewed purpose in their lives through education, compassion, and a place of peace and renewed purpose. To me personally, the experience at the Meadowlark Mother's Grief Retreat lead by Stacy and Lisa allowed me to experience the immense sadness and pain of my son's death and shattered heart, while understanding that these emotions are universal and that through the support of each other, we can experience love and slowly begin the healing process. I remember each and every mother, and their beautiful children and hold them in my heart. Thank you Stacy, Board Members, and the Foundation for the important and life changing work that you do everyday. This matters!

I have been donating to The Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation since its creation. The work they do is so important. It is inspiring to me that in reaction to Tim's tragic death everyone close to him and his mom Stacey came together to do something so meaningful in his honor. It keeps his memory alive. Tim was kind, peace-loving and caring. Kindness, peace and care-giving is what TGMF fosters every day in our community.

The Tim Griffith Foundation (TGF) is top notch! From Stacey Redman, the founder as well as the dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers.....they are all such caring and great people.
The TGF has helped support the operations of our Tim's House, a home where young men get second chances. For the past past 10+ years, together we have been providing safe and affordable housing, coupled with case management services. The men that live in our home are hard at work, staying clean and sober, working and giving back to others that are in need. The Service League of San Mateo County could not be luckier having such an amazing partner in the TGF.
Karen M. Francone, Executive Director

The weekend retreat for bereaved parents is the only one of its kind -- you can tell that it is a labor of love, and it's so needed.

I will be forever grateful to have found and particpated in a Meadowlark retreat for grieving mothers. The love, support and community that comes from spending a weekend with other mothers who, too, have lost a child under the gentle leadership of grief advisors is a true gift. Only a mother who is living without one of her children could create this type of retreat and environment and that's exactly what Stacey has done. The time, space and experience together is nothing short of sacred and offers all who attend something so important, wherever they are in their grieving process. Attending the Meadowlark retreat has been life changing and offered me a community of friends who truly understand, beyond the retreat. It has been an honor to support the TimGriffith Foundation and particpate in others ways as well. The work and support that is offered in all areas of focus amaze me and it is an honor to support the Tim Griffith Foundation.

I know Stacey, I knew Tim. That’s why I first volunteered. I continue because of the profound work the foundation does with grieving parents and at-risk youth & young adults. There is immediate and long-lasting impact within the community it serves.

The TGMF is filled with strong, loving board members and volunteers who tirelessly work for the benefit of the community, in honor of our beloved Tim. The anti-violence, rehabilitation, and counseling work they do is appreciated by all who have the blessing of being helped by the foundation. TGMF continues to grow and get better and better each year, with all that they offer their community!

I first heard of this foundation because of one of the other roles they serve: helping grieving mothers who have lost a child. After observing this foundation for the past year I have to say that I am so greatly impressed with what they have been able to do, and in such a short amount of time. It takes foundations with hundreds of backers and millions of dollars a much longer time to succeed at what this group has been able to do. After meeting the foundation founders I'm struck by the fact that they are such genuine, down-to-earth people, trying to help those who may have no other resources for help. The scope of this foundation is amazing. I traveled 2,500 miles one way in order to attend one of their seminars because there is nothing like it in the area I come from. I'd gladly recommend this group to any of my friends and am glad to be associated with them.

It is difficult to describe the strength and warmth and love I felt when attending a mother's weekend just two years after my daughter, Emily, passed away. Sharing stories with other mothers who could REALLY understand was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. I thank all the sponsors and leaders, and hope this will remain a support system for many years for the many parents who lose children. ❤️

I thought I was doing just fine in my grieving when I attended a Meadowlark retreat, and then I realized I wasn't. As traumatic as it was to share my story with the other mothers and to hear theirs, I eventually came to peace with what I learned about myself, about my grief journey, about being a survivor, and about my child. Thank you to the Tim Griffith Foundation. You really do deliver hope out of tragedy.

It is difficult to think of an organization that has been more impactful in my life since the sudden loss of my 19 year old son Andrew ten years ago. Little did I know that as a participant in the first Meadowlark retreat, I would join a caring community that provides a place to share grief and begin the slow road toward healing from such a devastating loss. TGF continues to be a touchstone in my life and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to be involved in its mission.

The opportunity to be with other mothers who have lost a child doesn't sound like a happy gathering, but it is a balm to the soul for those of us who live with this grief. Sharing something so huge, so life-altering, and soul-stretching with other people who live in your same hard world helps in countless ways. Somehow, it just does. And the way the Tim Griffith Foundation brings us together and then holds and comforts and cares for us on a Meadowlark Retreat is so powerful. I am always grateful for the support of the Tim Griffith Foundation, the genuine love-in-action brought forth in her grief of founder Stacey Redman, Tim's mother -- and all the people who make such a difference doing this work in Tim's memory.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a Meadowlark Retreat for grieving mothers in September of 2018. I found it to be an amazingly healing and supportive experience and have reflected on things that we talked about there many times since, on both difficult days and better ones. I would love to see more grieving parents have such an opportunity to join with others who understand what they are going through and I think the Tim Griffiths Foundation could lead the way towards helping many more clients with such retreats in the future. A wonderful group of leaders, healers, volunteers and friends, I feel so lucky to have discovered them.

I have been a supporter of the Tim Griffith Foundation for a few years, and am always impressed by the drive of the Board and Volunteers. The money raised by the Foundation goes to grassroots programs and initiatives that make a positive impact on the Bay Area community, which is why I will continue to support them.

I had the great opportunity of attending meadow lark retreat Sept 2018 my expiernce was amazing and I highly recommend it to all grieving Parents

I have been involved with the Tim Griffith Foundation both as a volunteer and a supporter since its beginning. The services they provide fill a much needed gap in support for certain populations. The mother's grief retreats not only allow for healing but are a powerful support in both helping women move on in their lives and having the ongoing support of others who understand what the loss truly means. The founder, Stacey Redman and the board are thoughtful in considering how the funds would be most effectively used, creative in their programs and committed to the community. It is rare to find a non-profit that is so clear on their focus, impactful in their outcomes and run entirely by volunteers leaving all of the funds to go directly where they are needed. I know of no other organization in this space that deserves the recognition.

I first went to a Tim Griffith fundraiser in 2017 and was struck by how well organised it was, and how many different facets of the community that the foundation helps.
I came on board as a volunteer halfway through this year and witnessed how hard working everyone on the board and all the volunteers are. I've also been privileged to hear the stories of those who have benefited from the foundation's assistance and I really believe it is filling a need in the community.

These people are passionate, experienced and dedicated. They are doing good work.
I attended a retreat; it was organized very well, I experienced exactly what I came for. I couldn’t have asked for more! Thank you!

Tim was a close friend of mine. I have donated to the foundation since the beginning. It is greatly moving to see how an incident of such tragic proportions can expand into exponential positive transformations at so many different levels. I love everything TGMF does. It gives me hope and inspires me to continue spreading love and compassion throughout the life that I am blessed to live. Tim would be smitten to see his how his legacy has enriched the lives of others.

"The Juice"

I went to the Meadowlark retreat for moms who have lost children. I felt so loved, embraced and comforted and FINALLY like someone gets it... Someone understands my overwhelming grief, loss, heartache. Losing a child is losing your future and is the most painful experience any parent will ever endure. Having someone there to walk you through it, to hold you up even, in a retreat setting like this was amazing. To feel cared for when you just feel that you can't care for yourself some days is an incredible gift that the Tim Griffith Memorial foundation has given parents. THANK YOU from the bottom of my broken heart

It's difficult to express how healing the Meadowlark Retreat is unless you've been there. A weekend retreat for mothers who have lost adult children, 7 women sharing our stories and our children. The most beautiful setting in the wine country, led by caring volunteers who prepared delicious organic meals and created a peaceful space, loose structure, spiritual rituals, and pampering. There was no detail left undone. I hate to use this word, but an AMAZING experience.

My Name is Pamela Smith
I now volunteer for the TGF, however I first was a client served.
I came to one of the meadowlark retreats after the loss of my youngest son Trevor.
to date there has been nothing that has given me more in my journey then the week end I spent.
It also is an amazing day twice a year, the Sunday before Mothers Day and the first Sunday of December, during times that Moms with child loss find difficult we get together for continued support from each other.
I have been grateful to become a volunteer at the meadowlark retreats, helping with food preparation and taking care of the moms who attend. Knowing behind the seen what goes into these retreats, the care , thought and compassion just to mention a few makes me honored to be apart of this wonderful foundation

Eleven months after my eleven-year-old son died, I went to a grief retreat called Meadowlark through the Tim Griffith Foundation. It was there that I met other grieving mothers for the first time and had an opportunity to talk about my son to other women who understood. I got to tell my story from start to finish without worrying that my story was going to upset anyone. We were all upset. We were all broken by child loss. It was during that weekend retreat that I realized for the first time that I was powerless to save my son. We were all powerless. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have gone to Meadowlark. 

The work that is done and supported by the Tim Griffith Foundation is life changing and of the highest caliber. They soothe the hearts of those who are broken due to the loss of a child. They provide shelter, rehabilitation, and hope to those who are desperately trying to turn their lives around. They helped found and and continue to support the necessary mental health counseling services that our under served , transitioning youth need and deserve to helps them begin to heal in ways that allow them to improve relationships and focus on staying and succeeding in school. Their devotion and dedication to these services and the people who receive them, is extraordinary and a gift to our community.

I have volunteered with the Tim Griffith Foundation for nearly 10 years. They are a tight knit group of passionate individuals who all care very much about the organizations they support. I would highly recommend getting involved or donating to this group as they are well guided and very thoughtful in how they choose what organizations/issues to support.

I am new to the Tim Griffith Board, but not new to the foundation. I first became a volunteer cofacilitator for the Meadowlark Mother's Retreats. When a child dies, a familie's world is destroyed. The retreat allows a Mom or Dad an opportunity to get a little bit of their world back and rejoin life. In addition to grief, those touched by violence or addiction can also find hope and support. The work of this foundation helps to rebuild lives and I am extremely proud to support their work financially and as a volunteer, so these important services can continue to be offered to those in need.

I have noticed the impact the Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation has had over the years. Tim was a great friend of mine and I miss him everyday. I am so happy that Stacey had the strength and determination to create a foundation that helps others with the loss of a loved one.

Tim Griffith Foundation and the people who drive this amazing organization are simply exceptional. They dare to reach out to and support people enduring the most horrendous traumas imaginable: the loss of a child; children who are victims of domestic and community violence; young adults struggling with staying clean from addiction and trying to get their lives back on track in a society that creates punishments that are near impossible to get out from under (even after serving one's sentence). And, they do this with deep compassion, and unending enthusiasm, hope, and commitment. The Tim Griffith Foundation is an extraordinary organization that deserves to be recognized and honored for the amazing work that it does.

I lost my son 6 years ago and this foundation sponsored me to spend the weekend with other moms who had lost their sons along with some counselors great food form the volunteers which made the weekend very special thank you

Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation is so special. I attended the retreat for grieving mothers. I was very withdrawn and not functioning very well after losing my 17 year old daughter. My niece found this retreat and set it up for me to attend. The moment I arrived I felt calm and in the right place. Everyone their made you feel welcome and let you go at your own pace. Meeting the other precious mothers who I still think of and feel for and pray for told their story's and shared special moments of their lives with the children they lost which made you feel like you are not alone and our children are still alive in our hearts and it was OK to talk about them. I am thankful everyday for Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation (I know how hard this must be to keep it going but she does.)

I would never want to say that I *enjoyed* the grief retreat I went to last September, but being surrounded by other bereaved mothers was the first time I felt normal since my 11-year-old son died a year earlier. On my way to Sebastopol where the retreat was held, I was terrified to be away from my support people back home and surrounded by strangers. But being together and sharing our most wounded and vulnerable selves with each other was powerful. It didn't bring back any of our children, but we found commonalities through out losses, and through that connection, there were baby steps made in understanding our grief. Thank you Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation.

I am a volunteer for the Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation and it has been such a rewarding experience. I have been able to volunteer side by side with individuals who have been supported by the organization. Each person has shared actual instances where help has been available for them, i.e., support at the clean and sober house for young men, support at the weekend retreat for mothers who have lost a child, and support at the local high school for youth who have had substance abuse problems. It has been an honor to get to know these people and know that we are all working to help through the Tim Griffith Memorial Foundation.

One of the services that the Tim Griffith Foundation provides is a a residential grief support weekend for a parent that has suffered the sudden loss of a child. It is our intention with these Retreats to honor and comfort mothers and fathers as they learn to live the unthinkable and try to see their way to hope. I co-facilitate the Mother's Retreat. It is the most meaningful and important work I have ever been involved in. The loss of a child is the greatest loss that no one is prepared for handling. Our society, friends and even family struggle to know what to do and often want the person to just move past their grief. These retreats are a much needed offering to parents that feel isolated in their grief. I am so proud that our foundation offers this unique service and have a full heart knowing that we have been able to touch so many people's live by providing help during such a dark time. Here is a link to the program.http://www.timgriffithfoundation.org/programs/grief-support/meadowlark-retreats

"It isn't the moment you are struck with grief that you need courage, instead it is for the long uphill climb back to sanity and faith and security". The Meadowlark Retreat for me, a grieving mother, has been those stepping stones on the uphill climb. There are no words to describe the positive support I continue to receive from the leaders and moms. Thank you.
Laverna Bosold

Ok, I'm biased. I've been a Board Member since the inception of the Tim Griffith Foundation. However, my bias is based on nine years and counting of work with this foundation. This foundation is born out of a wound--the tragic and senseless loss of a treasured son, brother, friend, and simply good person. At it's essence. the foundation is Newton's craddle incarnate--for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When Tim's life was taken--brutally, senselessly, his mother chose to react to this loss with as much power and momentum toward healing and hope. This foundation gives it's soul to "right the world" so that there are safe neighborhoods to combat violence, safe havens for those with addictions to heal, and healing spaces for those that are dealing with the most terrible loss of a child.

I trust this foundation with all of my charitable contributions because I know the direct impact it has on our community. This is an organization with heart and sould

I have been a volunteer since 2005. I have had many rewarding moments as a volunteer over the years. The energy is always evolving as we grow and add additional services to our community.

Recently I had the opportunity to work behind the scenes preparing meals at the Meadowlark Retreat for Mom's who have lost a child.

I can say without any hesitation it was one of the most profound weekends of my life. The impact of the professionally facilitated weekend on these Mom's in the darkest times of their life was so deeply moving and truly beautiful.

It is hugely gratifying to me to that the little bit that one person can do in a powerful group together really can and does make a difference.